"Rhetorical Web Design: Thinking Critically about Ready-Made Web Templates and the Problem of Ease"
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Jason ThamJason Tham is a PhD student in the Rhetoric and Scientific and Technical Communication program at the University of Minnesota in Twin Cities. His current research includes connected knowledge making and sharing, digital and visual rhetorics, and new inventions in writing and communication technology. His scholarly works have appeared in Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, Intercom, and Digital America: Journal of Digital Culture and American Life. ContentsOf Ease & Efficiency: The Problem with Template-Driven Web Designs Agency, Techne, and Extreme Usability Agency, Techne, and Extreme Usability Analysis of a Template: WordPress.com |
Of Ease & Efficiency: The Problem with Template-Driven Web DesignsMany novice web authors like myself are probably fascinated by our own ability to output the ceremonial “Hello World” post on our first personal homepage on a template-supported platform like WordPress. With only a few clicks, neophyte users are now able to create small-to-large scale websites that are barely comparable to the inline-styled, table-formatted, and JavaScript-driven webpages, which many veteran developers were first trained to create. Within the past 10 years, many template-driven, ad-supported content management systems[1] (CMS) such as Blogger and WordPress have “eased users into easy web ‘development,’ taking most of the work out of site creation by providing WYSIWYG[2] content editors and plug-and-play stock themes for easy content creation and styling” (Lindsley, 2013). For beginners, the benefits of these CMSs range from low- to no-cost hosting to ease of site maintenance. Tom Lindsley (2013), in critiquing prefabricated code lines in web development, contends that ready-to-use templates lead into a flattened learning curve in code literacy. Recently, programming and web writing courses have observed an exploded enrollment of young professionals and students who are eager to learn how to program and develop code literacy. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) such as EdX and Codecademy are set up to accommodate this high demand from the public (Wortham, 2012). Yet with the need to master syntax, web standards, accessibility, and browser compatibility issues, becoming a competent web developer does not happen overnight. It may take years for one to become adept in handling complex web problems. Fortunately for those new to web development, the public remains aggressive in its pursuit of programming knowledge (Online Course Report, 2016). Hence, many open-source communities and individual developers have created open-access frameworks, code libraries, and a wealth of customizable plugins that aid young developers in getting their work done. Many of these frameworks rely on APIs[3] (Application Programming Interfaces), which simplify multiline codes for interface interactivity into single-word script lines that help developers to avoid the burdensome task of rewriting simple animations or other interactive functions. While creating and using such frameworks are in the interest of ease and efficiency, novice developers risk relying too heavily on the prefabricated works of others, allowing themselves to focus more on ease than skill (Lindsley, 2013). Such a practice may also misguide developers, causing them to become unaware of the larger cultural and functional contexts within which the technology was developed (Turnley, 2005). Similarly, novice web designers may risk losing the opportunity to experience context-based web building when they rely on available templates for designing their websites. Although using template themes seems to bring advantages akin to employing one-size-fits-all frameworks in front-end[4] web development––ease of design modification, uniform interface, and greater reusability––the overall ease of usability can take away the developer/designer’s ability to exercise rhetorical agency (autonomy) over the development of an interface. My rationale for this argument is fleshed out in the following sections, where I demonstrate the inter-link between ancient rhetoric and the design of interface.
____________________________________________________________________ [1] A content management system provides structured content management features such as the ability to store news documents, images, video and any other online content type imaginable. They are used for websites that normally have multiple editors and sections and are used as the foundation of many large websites, which include newspapers and governments (trends.builtwith.com, 2014). [2] What You See Is What You Get [3] Most operating environments provide an API so that programmers can write applications consistent with the operating environment. Most APIs today are specified by websites. For example, Amazon or eBay APIs allow developers to use the existing retail infrastructure to create specialized web stores. Google's YouTube APIs let developers integrate YouTube videos and functionality into websites or applications. Third-party software developers also use Web APIs to create software solutions for end-users. [4] In terms of templates and CMS, front-end developers build and maintain technical files that make up the flesh and bones of the dynamically generated website. The Guardian has compiled a great list of technologies and responsibilities relevant to front-end development, available here: http://www.theguardian.com/help/insideguardian/2009/sep/28/blogpost |